Senators on the Veterans Affairs Committee give David Shulkin, MD – President Obama’s nominee for VA undersecretary of health – nods of approval during a confirmation hearing this week. The president of Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey told senators that, if confirmed, his main priorities would be to expand access to care, better enable veterans to use private-sector care, and restore the confidence of veterans and employees in the VA.

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

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Webinars

May 12 (Tuesday) 1:00 ET. “HIStalk Interviews Regina Holliday.” Catch up with Regina Holliday and her recent patient advocacy efforts as she chats with HIStalk’s Lorre and Jenn about the HIMSS conference, The Walking Gallery, upcoming advocacy events, and her new book. Regina will share how providers and vendors are working to make the patient voice heard.

May 19 (Tuesday) 2:00 ET. “Lock the Windows, Not Just the Door: Why Most Healthcare Breaches Involve Phishing Attacks and How to Prevent Them.” Sponsored by Imprivata. Presenters: Glynn Stanton, CISSP, information security manager, Yale New Haven Health System; David Ting, CTO, Imprivata. Nearly half of healthcare organizations will be successfully cyberhacked in 2015, many of them by hackers who thwart perimeter defenses by using social engineering instead. The entire network is exposed if even one employee is fooled by what looks like a security warning or Office update prompt and enters their login credentials. This webinar will provide real-world strategies for protecting against these attacks.

May 20 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Principles and Priorities of Accountable Care Transformation.” Sponsored by Health Catalyst. Presenter: Marie Dunn, director of analytics, Health Catalyst. Healthcare systems must build the competencies needed to succeed under value-based payment models while remaining financially viable in the fee-for-service landscape. This webinar will outline key near-term priorities for building competency at successfully managing at-risk contracts, with a particular focus on the importance of leveraging data to drive effective decision making.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Healthbox announces its new class of 10 startups at a launch event in Miami. This cohort will be the first to participate in the accelerator’s new Studio model, which does not require full-time participation or participants to give up equity at the outset.

The local news station profiles the perks of working at three of Cerner’s Kansas City, MO locations, including an on-site clinic, pharmacy, and fitness center. As Cerner’s Chief People Officer Julie Wilson explains, “Healthcare never closes. Neither do we.” Her statement may seem altruistic, but it’s no secret that on-campus, consumer-friendly services are really about keeping employees at their desks. It’s a strategy that seems to be paying off, as analysts predict the company will report higher-than-expected earnings during its Q1 report on May 7.

Certintell becomes the first resident of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Square One DSM accelerator program in Iowa. The two-employee, two-intern business launched its cloud-based telemedicine last fall and is now looking to expand its services beyond mental health.

Other

Apple Watch users desperate for human connection create a “lonelyheartbeat” group on Reddit to connect with other users. The new smartwatch features a heart rate monitor and the ability to send heartbeats and finger drawings to other Apple Watch wearers. Should Apple Watch adoption reach critical mass, it just may give Tinder a run for its money.

Just when you’d thought you’d put HIMSS behind you, the organization calls for proposals and reviewers for HIMSS16, which will take place February 29-March 4 in Las Vegas. Even if the majority of proposals were to come in at the June 15 deadline, that’s still putting session subject matter nearly eight months behind presentation times – further confirmation that healthcare IT is indeed a slow-moving industry.

Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush issues a clarion tweet for “more cowbell” during a visit to Wesleyan University. The video’s accompanying calypso music makes me yearn for the undergrad days of listening to late-night buskers while bar hopping in Athens, GA.

Sponsor Updates

A team from Nordic will ride in the Madison Tour de Cure benefit for the American Diabetes Association on May 16.